Features: Successful Retail Strategies

Apr2008

CABIN FEVER

AN EXPANSION AND REDESIGN BRINGS THE UP-NORTH GREAT

Walking through the front
door of North Woods Optics,
you could easily think you
accidentally stumbled into a log cabin
retreat. Perhaps it’s the rocks adorning the
reception desk or the waterfalls trickling
throughout the store or the trees lining the
dispensary. The growling bear in the kids’
play room. Moose, loons, ducks. Not to
mention that across the street there is a lake
with public access for boaters and plenty
of fishing year-round.

While the up-North theme pervading
North Woods Optics perfectly matches the
scenic town of Forest Lake, Minn., it may
seem a tad off-kilter for an optical practice.
But for Kevin Bahr, OD, what began as a
few existing decorations organically turned
into a full-fledged design
scheme. “I had gotten these
quacking duck fixation
targets that I saw in my
dentist’s office,” says Dr.
Bahr. “I also had a mural of
Forest Lake in the play area.
These things both got such
great feedback from patients
that when it came time to
design, I thought to myself,
‘What if I just went nuts with
the entire office and made it
to look like this all over?’”

Dr. Bahr’s impulse to go
all out with the design did
not translate into going
overboard. While planning
the new space, which was
purchased next to the existing
office, North Woods
brought in an expert to help
style the expanded office. “I
had an interior decorator
who kept me from getting too carried away.
Once you have a theme it’s hard to know
where to draw the line. She worked with me
on creating the look I wanted while keeping
it classy. I just knew from the start I didn’t
want any taxidermy in the office.”

Don’t think for a second that Dr. Bahr’s
decision to bar real, stuffed animals from the
practice means there was a drought in the
wildlife department. The dispensary houses
a huge, statuesque brass moose that greets
customers beside the reception area. And
each exam room has an animal theme. “I
already had these swimming duck butts that
function as fixation targets,” says Dr. Bahr.
“These really help kids focus when I’m
fitting them for contact lenses. Since they
have been so successful, I decided to get
more of them—now I have moose, fish and
loons, too. I have four exam rooms and each
one has the theme of the animal fixation
target inside.”

Even with all of this wildlife at North
Woods, for kids, the ruler of the North
Woods animal kingdom is obvious—the
bear in the play room. “We have this large
bear in kids’ play area,” notes Dr. Bahr.
“When you rub up against its bottom, it
growls. Kids love it. The other day, a little
boy was having so much fun he began to cry
when it was time to leave. We have a lot of
families coming in, so it’s important to have
a place where children can have fun while
they are waiting to get their eye exams.”

With close to 2,000 square feet of space to
work with, North Woods Optics had ample
room to incorporate not only fauna, but also
flora and other nature elements. The rustic,
woodsy feel is enhanced with trees inside.
(Of course, the trees aren’t real—thankfully,
no cumbersome cleanup of fallen leaves
come autumn.) River rock and log cabin siding
complete the look in the dispensary and
the frame displays are worked into the
design. “We have picture bay windows that
are just the right height for our displays,”
explains Dr. Bahr. “The frames we put on
display fit right in with the theme. The
displays are also filled with rock and lined
with log cabin siding.”

Even the frame selection offered at North
Woods seems to coordinate with the log
elements. “We have a lot of Chrome Hearts
frames here,” says office manager Howard
Malmstedt. “Many of them have wood temples
and fit into this atmosphere perfectly.”
Other frames that are big sellers include
Kieselstein-Cord, Oakley and Rudy Project.
“Over half of our sunwear is polarized,”
he adds.

The changes at North Woods Optics have
been for the best. “We have gotten only
positive feedback,” says Dr. Bahr. “When I
first came up with the idea to redesign the
practice the way we did, a lot of people said
to me, ‘Are you really sure you want to do
that?’ But it worked out for the best. We
have been here for 20 years and business has
never been better.”